Who knew that a school bus could be its own little world? The moment you step on that bus is the moment you will meet some of the nicest, weirdest, coolest, and scariest people ever.
I started riding the bus in 5th grade and even then I was aware of its various social groups. As much as I wanted the “Circle of Life” song to play every time I skipped onto the bus, it didn’t. The bus is not a Disney movie. However, Forrest Gump was right when he said, “Life [a.k.a. the bus] is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
This is how the bus seating worked: The front was reserved for the quiet people who preferred to stay off of the bus driver’s naughty list, the middle was for the “average Joe,” while the back was for the more “Slytherin” devious-minded kids.
I was the girl who sat in the front and befriended the bus-driver, Larry. He called me affectionately, “Little Lauren.” And no, I wasn’t a socially- awkward loner. I had two girl “bus buddies” who played "Cooking Mama 2" with me on our prized Nintendos. Overall, the bus was a positive experience because I learned how to converse with every social group.
This led me to ask my friends on Facebook where they sat on the school bus. The following are their answers:
The Front
“I liked the front because the back was loud and I was not a morning person. I sat with my girl friends for 3 school years because we enjoyed our quiet conversations.”
“I loved to talk the bus driver’s ear off and watch how he drove the bus.”
“I preferred to do my own thing and wanted to avoid talking to anyone.”
The Middle
“The middle means you’re not too close to the adults and you’re not too close to the ruffians that get in trouble.”
“I didn’t want to associate with all the obnoxious kids.”
“Once I started high school I didn’t want to talk to other people as much, so I sat in the middle.”
The Back
“I was in the back until I got in trouble; then I was assigned to the front.”
“I was the first one on [so I went to the back]; the front was reserved for the ones who got in trouble.”
Anywhere
“I would sit in the place that would even out the bus, because studies show that it requires more energy to move the bus forward when there is more weight on one side.”
“I looked for any open seat, but tried to avoid sitting by the people who were getting into heated debates.”
Some look back on their bus-riding days and remember the horror, awkwardness and peer pressure. Others remember how they found a life-long friend, learned a new Rubik's Cube algorithm or had a stimulating conversation. But, for me, Bus 221 was an unforgettable little world that helped prepare me for the real world.
